Parawasserstoff‐basierte Hyperpolarisierung für die Biomedizin

Parahydrogen in Reversible Exchange Induces Long-Lived 15N Hyperpolarization of Anticancer Drugs Anastrozole and Letrozole

Hyperpolarization modalities overcome the sensitivity limitations of NMR and unlock new applications. Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a particularly cheap, quick, and robust hyperpolarization modality. Here, we employ SABRE for simultaneous chemical exchange of parahydrogen and nitrile-containing anticancer drugs (letrozole or anastrozole) to enhance 15N polarization. Distinct substrates require unique optimal parameter sets, including temperature, magnetic field, or a shaped magnetic field profile. The fine tuning of these parameters for individual substrates is demonstrated here to maximize 15N polarization. After optimization, including the usage of pulsed μT fields, the 15N nuclei on common anticancer drugs, letrozole and anastrozole, can be polarized within 1-2 min. The hyperpolarization can exceed 10%, corresponding to 15N signal enhancement of over 280,000-fold at a clinically relevant magnetic field of 1 T. This sensitivity gain enables polarization studies at naturally abundant 15N enrichment level (0.4%). Moreover, the nitrile 15N sites enable long-lasting polarization storage with [15N]T1 over 9 min, enabling signal detection from a single hyperpolarization cycle for over 30 min.

Parahydrogen-Induced Carbon-13 Radiofrequency Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

The feasibility of Carbon-13 Radiofrequency (RF) Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (C-13 RASER) is demonstrated on a bolus of liquid hyperpolarized ethyl [1-13 C]acetate. Hyperpolarized ethyl [1-13 C]acetate was prepared via pairwise addition of parahydrogen to vinyl [1-13 C]acetate and polarization transfer from nascent parahydrogen-derived protons to the carbon-13 nucleus via magnetic field cycling yielding C-13 nuclear spin polarization of approximately 6 %. RASER signals were detected from samples with concentration ranging from 0.12 to 1 M concentration using a non-cryogenic 1.4T NMR spectrometer equipped with a radio-frequency detection coil with a quality factor (Q) of 32 without any modifications. C-13 RASER signals were observed for several minutes on a single bolus of hyperpolarized substrate to achieve 21 mHz NMR linewidths. The feasibility of creating long-lasting C-13 RASER on biomolecular carriers opens a wide range of new opportunities for the rapidly expanding field of C-13 magnetic resonance hyperpolarization.

Synthesis of 13 C and 2 H Labeled Vinyl Pyruvate and Hyperpolarization of Pyruvate

The hyperpolarization of nuclear spins has enabled unique applications in chemistry, biophysics, and particularly metabolic imaging. Parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) offers a fast and cost-efficient way of hyperpolarization. Nevertheless, PHIP lags behind dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), which is already being evaluated in clinical studies. This shortcoming is mainly due to problems in the synthesis of the corresponding PHIP precursor molecules. The most widely used DNP tracer in clinical studies, particularly for the detection of prostate cancer, is 1-¹³ C-pyruvate. The ideal derivative for PHIP is the deuterated vinyl ester because the spin physics allows for 100 % polarization. Unfortunately, there is no efficient synthesis for vinyl esters of β-ketocarboxylic acids in general and pyruvate in particular. Here, we present an efficient new method for the preparation of vinyl esters, including ¹³ C labeled, fully deuterated vinyl pyruvate using a palladium-catalyzed procedure. Using 50 % enriched parahydrogen and mild reaction conditions, a ¹³ C polarization of 12 % was readily achieved; 36 % are expected with 100 % pH₂ . Higher polarization values can be potentially achieved with optimized reaction conditions.

Quasi-continuous production of highly hyperpolarized carbon-13 contrast agents every 15 seconds within an MRI system

Hyperpolarized contrast agents (HyCAs) have enabled unprecedented magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of metabolism and pH in vivo. Producing HyCAs with currently available methods, however, is typically time and cost intensive. Here, we show virtually-continuous production of HyCAs using parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP), without stand-alone polarizer, but using a system integrated in an MRI instead. Polarization of ≈2% for [1-¹³C]succinate-d₂ or ≈19% for hydroxyethyl-[1-¹³C]propionate-d₃ was created every 15 s, for which fast, effective, and well-synchronized cycling of chemicals and reactions in conjunction with efficient spin-order transfer was key. We addressed these challenges using a dedicated, high-pressure, high-temperature reactor with integrated water-based heating and a setup operated via the MRI pulse program. As PHIP of several biologically relevant HyCAs has recently been described, this Rapid-PHIP technique promises fast preclinical studies, repeated administration or continuous infusion within a single lifetime of the agent, as well as a prolonged window for observation with signal averaging and dynamic monitoring of metabolic alterations.

Order-Unity 13 C Nuclear Polarization of [1-13 C]Pyruvate in Seconds and the Interplay of Water and SABRE Enhancement

Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange in SHield Enabled Alignment Transfer (SABRE-SHEATH) is investigated to achieve rapid hyperpolarization of 13 C1 spins of [1-13 C]pyruvate, using parahydrogen as the source of nuclear spin order. Pyruvate exchange with an iridium polarization transfer complex can be modulated via a sensitive interplay between temperature and co-ligation of DMSO and H2 O. Order-unity 13 C (>50 %) polarization of catalyst-bound [1-13 C]pyruvate is achieved in less than 30 s by restricting the chemical exchange of [1-13 C]pyruvate at lower temperatures. On the catalyst bound pyruvate, 39 % polarization is measured using a 1.4 T NMR spectrometer, and extrapolated to >50 % at the end of build-up in situ. The highest measured polarization of a 30-mM pyruvate sample, including free and bound pyruvate is 13 % when using 20 mM DMSO and 0.5 M water in CD3 OD. Efficient 13 C polarization is also enabled by favorable relaxation dynamics in sub-microtesla magnetic fields, as indicated by fast polarization buildup rates compared to the T1 spin-relaxation rates (e. g., ∼0.2 s-1 versus ∼0.1 s-1 , respectively, for a 6 mM catalyst-[1-13 C]pyruvate sample). Finally, the catalyst-bound hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate can be released rapidly by cycling the temperature and/or by optimizing the amount of water, paving the way to future biomedical applications of hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate produced via comparatively fast and simple SABRE-SHEATH-based approaches.

Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization in Hydrogenation Reactions Mediated by a Metal-Free Catalyst

We report nuclear spin hyperpolarization of various alkenes achieved in alkyne hydrogenations with parahydrogen over a metal‐free hydroborane catalyst (HCAT). Being an intramolecular frustrated Lewis pair aminoborane, HCAT utilizes a non‐pairwise mechanism of H₂ transfer to alkynes that normally prevents parahydrogen‐induced polarization (PHIP) from being observed. Nevertheless, the specific spin dynamics in catalytic intermediates leads to the hyperpolarization of predominantly one hydrogen in alkene. PHIP enabled the detection of important HCAT‐alkyne‐H₂ intermediates through substantial ¹H, ¹¹B and ¹⁵N signal enhancement and allowed advanced characterization of the catalytic process.

Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Amino Acids

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has become a universal method for biochemical and biomedical studies, including metabolomics, proteomics, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). By increasing the signal of selected molecules, the hyperpolarization of nuclear spin has expanded the reach of NMR and MRI even further (e.g. hyperpolarized solid-state NMR and metabolic imaging in vivo). Parahydrogen (pH2 ) offers a fast and cost-efficient way to achieve hyperpolarization, and the last decade has seen extensive advances, including the synthesis of new tracers, catalysts, and transfer methods. The portfolio of hyperpolarized molecules now includes amino acids, which are of great interest for many applications. Here, we provide an overview of the current literature and developments in the hyperpolarization of amino acids and peptides.

Density Functional Theory Study of Reaction Equilibria in Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange

An in-depth theoretical analysis of key chemical equilibria in Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is provided, employing density functional theory calculations to characterize the likely reaction network. For all reactions in the network, the potential energy surface is probed to identify minimum energy pathways. Energy barriers and transition states are calculated, and harmonic transition state theory is applied to calculate exchange rates that approximate experimental values. The reaction network energy surface can be modulated by chemical potentials that account for the dependence on concentration, temperature, and partial pressure of molecular constituents (hydrogen, methanol, pyridine) supplied to the experiment under equilibrium conditions. We show that, under typical experimental conditions, the Gibbs free energies of the two key states involved in pyridine-hydrogen exchange at the common Ir-IMes catalyst system in methanol are essentially the same, i. e., nearly optimal for SABRE. We also show that a methanol-containing intermediate is plausible as a transient species in the process.

Spatially Resolved Kinetic Model of Parahydrogen Induced Polarisation (PHIP) in a Microfluidic Chip

We report a spatially resolved kinetic finite element model of parahydrogen-induced polarisation (PHIP) in a microfluidic chip that was calibrated using on-chip and off-chip NMR data. NMR spectroscopy has great potential as a read-out technique for lab-on-a-chip (LoC) devices, but is often limited by sensitivity. By integrating PHIP with a LoC device, a continuous stream of hyperpolarised material can be produced, and mass sensitivities of pmol s have been achieved. However, the yield and polarisation levels have so far been quite low, and can still be optimised. To facilitate this, a kinetic model of the reaction has been developed, and its rate constants have been calibrated using macroscopic kinetic measurements. The kinetic model was then coupled with a finite element model of the microfluidic chip. The model predicts the concentration of species involved in the reaction as a function of flow rate and position in the device. The results are in quantitative agreement with published experimental data.

Spontaneous Enhancement of Magnetic Resonance Signals Using a RASER

Nuclear magnetic resonance is usually drastically limited by its intrinsically low sensitivity: Only a few spins contribute to the overall signal. To overcome this limitation, hyperpolarization methods were developed that increase signals several times beyond the normal/thermally polarized signals. The ideal case would be a universal approach that can signal enhance the complete sample of interest in solution to increase detection sensitivity. Here, we introduce a combination of para-hydrogen enhanced magnetic resonance with the phenomenon of the RASER: Large signals of para-hydrogen enhanced molecules interact with the magnetic resonance coil in a way that the signal is spontaneously converted into an in-phase signal. These molecules directly interact with other compounds via dipolar couplings and enhance their signal. We demonstrate that this is not only possible for solvent molecules but also for an amino acid.

Effects of a Tridentate Pincer Ligand on Parahydrogen Induced Polarization

The role of ligands in rhodium- and iridium-catalyzed Parahydrogen Induced Polarization (PHIP) and SABRE (signal amplification by reversible exchange) chemistry has been studied in the benchmark systems, [Rh(diene)(diphos)]⁺ and [Ir(NHC)(sub)₃ (H)₂ ]⁺ , and shown to have a great impact on the degree of hyperpolarization observed. Here, we examine the role of the flanking moieties in the electron-rich monoanionic bis(carbene) aryl pincer ligand, ^Ar CCC (Ar=Dipp, 2,6-diisopropyl or Mes, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) on the cobalt-catalyzed PHIP and PHIP-IE (PHIP via Insertion and Elimination) chemistry that we have previously reported. The mesityl groups were exchanged for diisopropylphenyl groups to generate the (^Dipp CCC)Co(N₂ ) catalyst, which resulted in faster hydrogenation and up to 390-fold ¹ H signal enhancements, larger than that of the (^Mes CCC)Co-py (py=pyridine) catalyst. Additionally, the synthesis of the (^Dipp CCC)Rh(N₂ ) complex is reported and applied towards the hydrogenation of ethyl acrylate with parahydrogen to generate modest signal enhancements of both ¹ H and ¹³ C nuclei. Lastly, the generation of two (^Mes CCC)Ir complexes is presented and applied towards SABRE and PHIP-IE chemistry to only yield small ¹ H signal enhancements of the partially hydrogenated product (PHIP) with no SABRE hyperpolarization.

Synthetic Approaches for 15 N-Labeled Hyperpolarized Heterocyclic Molecular Imaging Agents for 15 N NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange in Microtesla Magnetic Fields

NMR hyperpolarization techniques enhance nuclear spin polarization by several orders of magnitude resulting in corresponding sensitivity gains. This enormous sensitivity gain enables new applications ranging from studies of small molecules by using high-resolution NMR spectroscopy to real-time metabolic imaging in vivo. Several hyperpolarization techniques exist for hyperpolarization of a large repertoire of nuclear spins, although the 13 C and 15 N sites of biocompatible agents are the key targets due to their widespread use in biochemical pathways. Moreover, their long T1 allows hyperpolarized states to be retained for up to tens of minutes. Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a low-cost and ultrafast hyperpolarization technique that has been shown to be versatile for the hyperpolarization of 15 N nuclei. Although large sensitivity gains are enabled by hyperpolarization, 15 N natural abundance is only ∼0.4 %, so isotopic labeling of the molecules to be hyperpolarized is required in order to take full advantage of the hyperpolarized state. Herein, we describe selected advances in the preparation of 15 N-labeled compounds with the primary emphasis on using these compounds for SABRE polarization in microtesla magnetic fields through spontaneous polarization transfer from parahydrogen. Also, these principles can certainly be applied for hyperpolarization of these emerging contrast agents using dynamic nuclear polarization and other techniques.

Heterogeneous 1 H and 13 C Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Acetate and Pyruvate Esters

Magnetic resonance imaging of [1-13 C]hyperpolarized carboxylates (most notably, [1-13 C]pyruvate) allows one to visualize abnormal metabolism in tumors and other pathologies. Herein, we investigate the efficiency of 1 H and 13 C hyperpolarization of acetate and pyruvate esters with ethyl, propyl and allyl alcoholic moieties using heterogeneous hydrogenation of corresponding vinyl, allyl and propargyl precursors in isotopically unlabeled and 1-13 C-enriched forms with parahydrogen over Rh/TiO2 catalysts in methanol-d4 and in D2 O. The maximum obtained 1 H polarization was 0.6±0.2 % (for propyl acetate in CD3 OD), while the highest 13 C polarization was 0.10±0.03 % (for ethyl acetate in CD3 OD). Hyperpolarization of acetate esters surpassed that of pyruvates, while esters with a triple carbon-carbon bond in unsaturated alcoholic moiety were less efficient as parahydrogen-induced polarization precursors than esters with a double bond. Among the compounds studied, the maximum 1 H and 13 C NMR signal intensities were observed for propyl acetate. Ethyl acetate yielded slightly less intense NMR signals which were dramatically greater than those of other esters under study.

Heterogeneous Catalysis and Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization

Parahydrogen-induced polarization with heterogeneous catalysts (HET-PHIP) has been a subject of extensive research in the last decade since its first observation in 2007. While NMR signal enhancements obtained with such catalysts are currently below those achieved with transition metal complexes in homogeneous hydrogenations in solution, this relatively new field demonstrates major prospects for a broad range of advanced fundamental and practical applications, from providing catalyst-free hyperpolarized fluids for biomedical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to exploring mechanisms of industrially important heterogeneous catalytic processes. This review covers the evolution of the heterogeneous catalysts used for PHIP observation, from metal complexes immobilized on solid supports to bulk metals and single-atom catalysts and discusses the general visions for maximizing the obtained NMR signal enhancements using HET-PHIP. Various practical applications of HET-PHIP, both for catalytic studies and for potential production of hyperpolarized contrast agents for MRI, are described.

Bridging the Gap: From Homogeneous to Heterogeneous Parahydrogen-induced Hyperpolarization and Beyond

Demonstration of parahydrogen-induced polarization effects in hydrogenations catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts instead of metal complexes in a homogeneous solution has opened an entirely new dimension for parahydrogen-based research, demonstrating its applicability not only for the production of catalyst-free hyperpolarized liquids and gases and long-lived non-equilibrium spin states for potential biomedical applications, but also for addressing challenges of modern fundamental and industrial catalysis including advanced mechanistic studies of catalytic reactions and operando NMR and MRI of reactors. This essay summarizes the progress achieved in this field by highlighting the research contributed to it by our colleague and friend Kirill V. Kovtunov whose scientific career ended unexpectedly and tragically at the age of 37. His role in this research was certainly crucial, further enhanced by a vast network of his contacts and collaborations at the national and international level.

Synthesis and 15 N NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange of [15 N]Dalfampridine at Microtesla Magnetic Fields

Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) technique enables nuclear spin hyperpolarization of wide range of compounds using parahydrogen. Here we present the synthetic approach to prepare ¹⁵ N-labeled [¹⁵ N]dalfampridine (4-amino[¹⁵ N]pyridine) utilized as a drug to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The synthesized compound was hyperpolarized using SABRE at microtesla magnetic fields (SABRE-SHEATH technique) with up to 2.0 % ¹⁵ N polarization. The 7-hour-long activation of SABRE pre-catalyst [Ir(IMes)(COD)Cl] in the presence of [¹⁵ N]dalfampridine can be remedied by the use of pyridine co-ligand for catalyst activation while retaining the ¹⁵ N polarization levels of [¹⁵ N]dalfampridine. The effects of experimental conditions such as polarization transfer magnetic field, temperature, concentration, parahydrogen flow rate and pressure on ¹⁵ N polarization levels of free and equatorial catalyst-bound [¹⁵ N]dalfampridine were investigated. Moreover, we studied ¹⁵ N polarization build-up and decay at magnetic field of less than 0.04 μT as well as ¹⁵ N polarization decay at the Earth's magnetic field and at 1.4 T.

Singlet-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Unlocking Hyperpolarization with Metabolism*

Hyperpolarization-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can be used to study biomolecular processes in the body, but typically requires nuclei such as 13 C, 15 N, or 129 Xe due to their long spin-polarization lifetimes and the absence of a proton-background signal from water and fat in the images. Here we present a novel type of 1 H imaging, in which hyperpolarized spin order is locked in a nonmagnetic long-lived correlated (singlet) state, and is only liberated for imaging by a specific biochemical reaction. In this work we produce hyperpolarized fumarate via chemical reaction of a precursor molecule with para-enriched hydrogen gas, and the proton singlet order in fumarate is released as antiphase NMR signals by enzymatic conversion to malate in D2 O. Using this model system we show two pulse sequences to rephase the NMR signals for imaging and suppress the background signals from water. The hyperpolarization-enhanced 1 H-imaging modality presented here can allow for hyperpolarized imaging without the need for low-abundance, low-sensitivity heteronuclei.

Catalytic Hydrogenation of Trivinyl Orthoacetate: Mechanisms Elucidated by Parahydrogen Induced Polarization

Parahydrogen (pH2 ) induced polarization (PHIP) is a unique method that is used in analytical chemistry to elucidate catalytic hydrogenation pathways and to increase the signal of small metabolites in MRI and NMR. PHIP is based on adding or exchanging at least one pH2 molecule with a target molecule. Thus, the spin order available for hyperpolarization is often limited to that of one pH2 molecule. To break this limit, we investigated the addition of multiple pH2 molecules to one precursor. We studied the feasibility of the simultaneous hydrogenation of three arms of trivinyl orthoacetate (TVOA) intending to obtain hyperpolarized acetate. It was found that semihydrogenated TVOA underwent a fast decomposition accompanied by several minor reactions including an exchange of geminal methylene protons of a vinyl ester with pH2 . The study shows that multiple vinyl ester groups are not suitable for a fast and clean (without any side products) hydrogenation and hyperpolarization that is desired in biochemical applications.

Design of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Molecular Probes for Hyperpolarized Bioimaging

Nuclear hyperpolarization has emerged as a method to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of NMR spectroscopy. By application of this powerful tool, small molecules with stable isotopes have been used for highly sensitive biomedical molecular imaging. The recent development of molecular probes for hyperpolarized in vivo analysis has demonstrated the ability of this technique to provide unique metabolic and physiological information. This review presents a brief introduction of hyperpolarization technology, approaches to the rational design of molecular probes for hyperpolarized analysis, and examples of molecules that have met with success in vitro or in vivo.

15 N NMR Hyperpolarization of Radiosensitizing Antibiotic Nimorazole by Reversible Parahydrogen Exchange in Microtesla Magnetic Fields

Nimorazole belongs to the imidazole-based family of antibiotics to fight against anaerobic bacteria. Moreover, nimorazole is now in Phase 3 clinical trial in Europe for potential use as a hypoxia radiosensitizer for treatment of head and neck cancers. We envision the use of [15 N3 ]nimorazole as a theragnostic hypoxia contrast agent that can be potentially deployed in the next-generation MRI-LINAC systems. Herein, we report the first steps to create long-lasting (for tens of minutes) hyperpolarized state on three 15 N sites of [15 N3 ]nimorazole with T1 of up to ca. 6 minutes. The nuclear spin polarization was boosted by ca. 67000-fold at 1.4 T (corresponding to P15N of 3.2 %) by 15 N-15 N spin-relayed SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarization technique, relying on simultaneous exchange of [15 N3 ]nimorazole and parahydrogen on polarization transfer Ir-IMes catalyst. The presented results pave the way to efficient spin-relayed SABRE-SHEATH hyperpolarization of a wide range of imidazole-based antibiotics and chemotherapeutics.

Heterogeneous Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Diethyl Ether for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the use of hyperpolarized gases as contrast agents provides valuable information on lungs structure and function. While the technology of 129 Xe hyperpolarization for clinical MRI research is well developed, it requires the expensive equipment for production and detection of hyperpolarized 129 Xe. Herein we present the 1 H hyperpolarization of diethyl ether vapor that can be imaged on any clinical MRI scanner. 1 H nuclear spin polarization of up to 1.3 % was achieved using heterogeneous hydrogenation of ethyl vinyl ether with parahydrogen over Rh/TiO2 catalyst. Liquefaction of diethyl ether vapor proceeds with partial preservation of hyperpolarization and prolongs its lifetime by ≈10 times. The proof-of-principle 2D 1 H MRI of hyperpolarized diethyl ether was demonstrated with 0.1×1.1 mm2 spatial and 120 ms temporal resolution. The long history of use of diethyl ether for anesthesia is expected to facilitate the clinical translation of the presented approach.

Reversible Hyperpolarization of Ketoisocaproate Using Sulfoxide-containing Polarization Transfer Catalysts

The substrate scope of sulfoxide-containing magnetisation transfer catalysts is extended to hyperpolarize α-ketoisocaproate and α-ketoisocaproate-1-[13 C]. This is achieved by forming [Ir(H)2 (κ2 -ketoisocaproate)(N-heterocyclic carbene)(sulfoxide)] which transfers latent magnetism from p-H2 via the signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) process. The effect of polarization transfer field on the formation of enhanced 13 C magnetization is evaluated. Consequently, performing SABRE in a 0.5 μT field enabled most efficient magnetisation transfer. 13 C NMR signals for α-ketoisocaproate-1-[13 C] in methanol-d4 are up to 985-fold more intense than their traditional Boltzmann derived signal intensity (0.8 % 13 C polarisation). Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals the formation of the novel catalyst decomposition products [Ir(μ-H)(H)2 (IMes)(SO(Ph)(Me)2 )]2 and [(Ir(H)2 (IMes)(SO(Me)2 ))2 (μ-S)] when the sulfoxides methylphenylsulfoxide and dimethylsulfoxide are used respectively.

Parahydrogen-Induced Polarization of Diethyl Ether Anesthetic

The growing interest in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing regional lung function relies on the use of nuclear spin hyperpolarized gas as a contrast agent. The long gas-phase lifetimes of hyperpolarized 129 Xe make this inhalable contrast agent acceptable for clinical research today despite limitations such as high cost, low throughput of production and challenges of 129 Xe imaging on clinical MRI scanners, which are normally equipped with proton detection only. We report on low-cost and high-throughput preparation of proton-hyperpolarized diethyl ether, which can be potentially employed for pulmonary imaging with a nontoxic, simple, and sensitive overall strategy using proton detection commonly available on all clinical MRI scanners. Diethyl ether is hyperpolarized by pairwise parahydrogen addition to vinyl ethyl ether and characterized by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Proton polarization levels exceeding 8 % are achieved at near complete chemical conversion within seconds, causing the activation of radio amplification by stimulated emission radiation (RASER) throughout detection. Although gas-phase T1 relaxation of hyperpolarized diethyl ether (at partial pressure of 0.5 bar) is very efficient, with T1 of ca. 1.2 second, we demonstrate that, at low magnetic fields, the use of long-lived singlet states created via pairwise parahydrogen addition extends the relaxation decay by approximately threefold, paving the way to bioimaging applications and beyond.

Parahydrogen-Induced Hyperpolarization of Gases

Imaging of gases is a major challenge for any modality including MRI. NMR and MRI signals are directly proportional to the nuclear spin density and the degree of alignment of nuclear spins with applied static magnetic field, which is called nuclear spin polarization. The level of nuclear spin polarization is typically very low, i.e., one hundred thousandth of the potential maximum at 1.5 T and a physiologically relevant temperature. As a result, MRI typically focusses on imaging highly concentrated tissue water. Hyperpolarization methods transiently increase nuclear spin polarizations up to unity, yielding corresponding gains in MRI signal level of several orders of magnitude that enable the 3D imaging of dilute biomolecules including gases. Parahydrogen-induced polarization is a fast, highly scalable, and low-cost hyperpolarization technique. The focus of this Minireview is to highlight selected advances in the field of parahydrogen-induced polarization for the production of hyperpolarized compounds, which can be potentially employed as inhalable contrast agents.

Parahydrogen-Induced Radio Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

Radio amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (RASER) was recently discovered in a low-field NMR spectrometer incorporating a highly specialized radio-frequency resonator, where a high degree of proton-spin polarization was achieved by reversible parahydrogen exchange. RASER activity, which results from the coherent coupling between the nuclear spins and the inductive detector, can overcome the limits of frequency resolution in NMR. Here we show that this phenomenon is not limited to low magnetic fields or the use of resonators with high-quality factors. We use a commercial bench-top 1.4 T NMR spectrometer in conjunction with pairwise parahydrogen addition producing proton-hyperpolarized molecules in the Earth's magnetic field (ALTADENA condition) or in a high magnetic field (PASADENA condition) to induce RASER without any radio-frequency excitation pulses. The results demonstrate that RASER activity can be observed on virtually any NMR spectrometer and measures most of the important NMR parameters with high precision.

The Detection and Reactivity of Silanols and Silanes Using Hyperpolarized 29 Si Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Silanols and silanes are key precursors and intermediates for the synthesis of silicon-based materials. While their characterization and quantification by 29 Si NMR spectroscopy has received significant attention, it is a technique that is limited by the low natural abundance of 29 Si and its low sensitivity. Here, we describe a method using p-H2 to hyperpolarize 29 Si. The observed signal enhancements, approaching 3000-fold at 11.7 T, would take many days of measurement for comparable results under Boltzmann conditions. The resulting signals were exploited to monitor the rapid reaction of tris(tert-butoxy)silanol with triflic anhydride in a T1 -corrected process that allows for rapid quantification. These results demonstrate a novel route to quantify dynamic processes and intermediates in the synthesis of silicon materials.

"Direct" 13 C Hyperpolarization of 13 C-Acetate by MicroTesla NMR Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE)

Herein, we demonstrate "direct" ¹³ C hyperpolarization of ¹³ C-acetate via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE). The standard SABRE homogeneous catalyst [Ir-IMes; [IrCl(COD)(IMes)], (IMes=1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl), imidazole-2-ylidene; COD=cyclooctadiene)] was first activated in the presence of an auxiliary substrate (pyridine) in alcohol. Following addition of sodium 1-¹³ C-acetate, parahydrogen bubbling within a microtesla magnetic field (i.e. under conditions of SABRE in shield enables alignment transfer to heteronuclei, SABRE-SHEATH) resulted in positive enhancements of up to ≈100-fold in the ¹³ C NMR signal compared to thermal equilibrium at 9.4 T. The present results are consistent with a mechanism of "direct" transfer of spin order from parahydrogen to ¹³ C spins of acetate weakly bound to the catalyst, under conditions of fast exchange with respect to the ¹³ C acetate resonance, but we find that relaxation dynamics at microtesla fields alter the optimal matching from the traditional SABRE-SHEATH picture. Further development of this approach could lead to new ways to rapidly, cheaply, and simply hyperpolarize a broad range of substrates (e.g. metabolites with carboxyl groups) for various applications, including biomedical NMR and MRI of cellular and in vivo metabolism.

Probing carbohydrate metabolism using hyperpolarized 13 C-labeled molecules

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic process in all organisms. Anomalies in glucose metabolism are linked to various pathological conditions. In particular, elevated aerobic glycolysis is a characteristic feature of rapidly growing cells. Glycolysis and the closely related pentose phosphate pathway can be monitored in real time by hyperpolarized 13 C-labeled metabolic substrates such as 13 C-enriched, deuterated D-glucose derivatives, [2-13 C]-D-fructose, [2-13 C] dihydroxyacetone, [1-13 C]-D-glycerate, [1-13 C]-D-glucono-δ-lactone and [1-13 C] pyruvate in healthy and diseased tissues. Elevated glycolysis in tumors (the Warburg effect) was also successfully imaged using hyperpolarized [U-13 C6 , U-2 H7 ]-D-glucose, while the size of the preexisting lactate pool can be measured by 13 C MRS and/or MRI with hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate. This review summarizes the application of various hyperpolarized 13 C-labeled metabolites to the real-time monitoring of glycolysis and related metabolic processes in normal and diseased tissues.

15 N Hyperpolarization of Dalfampridine at Natural Abundance for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is a promising method for NMR signal enhancement and production of hyperpolarized molecules. As nuclear spin relaxation times of heteronuclei are usually much longer than those of protons, SABRE-based hyperpolarization of heteronuclei in molecules is highly important in the context of biomedical applications. In this work, we demonstrate that the SLIC-SABRE technique can be successfully used to hyperpolarize 15 N nuclei in dalfampridine. The high polarization level of ca. 8 % achieved in this work made it possible to acquire 15 N MR images at natural abundance of the 15 N nuclei for the first time.

Terminal Diazirines Enable Reverse Polarization Transfer from 15 N2 Singlets

Diazirine moieties are chemically stable and have been incorporated into biomolecules without impediment of biological activity. The ¹⁵ N₂ labeled diazirines are appealing motifs for hyperpolarization supporting relaxation protected states with long-lived lifetimes. The (-CH¹⁵ N₂ ) diazirine groups investigated here are analogues to methyl groups, which provides the opportunity to transfer polarization stored on a relaxation protected (-CH¹⁵ N₂ ) moiety to ¹ H, thus combining the advantages of long lifetimes of ¹⁵ N polarization with superior sensitivity of ¹ H detection. Despite the proximity of ¹ H to ¹⁵ N nuclei in the diazirine moiety, ¹⁵ N T₁ times of up to (4.6±0.4) min and singlet lifetimes T_s of up to (17.5±3.8) min are observed. Furthermore, we found terminal diazirines to support hyperpolarized ¹ H₂ singlet states in CH₂ groups of chiral molecules. The singlet lifetime of ¹ H singlets is up to (9.2±1.8) min, thus exceeding ¹ H T₁ relaxation time (at 8.45 T) by a factor of ≈100.

15 N MRI of SLIC-SABRE Hyperpolarized 15 N-Labelled Pyridine and Nicotinamide

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a powerful non-invasive diagnostic method extensively used in biomedical studies. A significant limitation of MRI is its relatively low signal-to-noise ratio, which can be increased by hyperpolarizing nuclear spins. One promising method is Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE), which employs parahydrogen as a source of hyperpolarization. Recent studies demonstrated the feasibility to improve MRI sensitivity with this hyperpolarization technique. Hyperpolarized 15 N nuclei in biomolecules can potentially retain their spin alignment for tens of minutes, providing an extended time window for the utilization of the hyperpolarized compounds. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that radio-frequency-based SABRE hyperpolarization techniques can be used to obtain 15 N MRI of biomolecule 1-15 N-nicotinamide. Two image acquisition strategies were utilized and compared: Single Point Imaging (SPI) and Fast Low Angle SHot (FLASH). These methods demonstrated opportunities of high-field SABRE for biomedical applications.

Hyperpolarizing Concentrated Metronidazole 15 NO2 Group over Six Chemical Bonds with More than 15 % Polarization and a 20 Minute Lifetime

The NMR hyperpolarization of uniformly ¹⁵ N-labeled [¹⁵ N₃ ]metronidazole is demonstrated by using SABRE-SHEATH. In this antibiotic, the ¹⁵ NO₂ group is hyperpolarized through spin relays created by ¹⁵ N spins in [¹⁵ N₃ ]metronidazole, and the polarization is transferred from parahydrogen-derived hydrides over six chemical bonds. In less than a minute of parahydrogen bubbling at approximately 0.4 μT, a high level of nuclear spin polarization (P_15N ) of around 16 % is achieved on all three ¹⁵ N sites. This product of ¹⁵ N polarization and concentration of ¹⁵ N spins is around six-fold better than any previous value determined for ¹⁵ N SABRE-derived hyperpolarization. At 1.4 T, the hyperpolarized state persists for tens of minutes (relaxation time, T₁ ≈10 min). A novel synthesis of uniformly ¹⁵ N-enriched metronidazole is reported with a yield of 15 %. This approach can potentially be used for synthesis of a wide variety of in vivo metabolic probes with potential uses ranging from hypoxia sensing to theranostic imaging.

Simulating Non-linear Chemical and Physical (CAP) Dynamics of Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE)

The hyperpolarization of nuclear spins by using parahydrogen (pH₂ ) is a fascinating technique that allows spin polarization and thus the magnetic resonance signal to be increased by several orders of magnitude. Entirely new applications have become available. Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a relatively new method that is based on the reversible exchange of a substrate, catalyst and parahydrogen. SABRE is particularly interesting for in vivo medical and industrial applications, such as fast and low-cost trace analysis or continuous signal enhancement. Ever since its discovery, many attempts have been made to model and understand SABRE, with various degrees of simplifications. In this work, we reduced the simplifications further, taking into account non-linear chemical and physical (CAP) dynamics of several multi-spin systems. A master equation was derived and realized using the MOIN open-source software. The effects of different parameters (exchange rates, concentrations, spin-spin couplings) on relaxation and the polarization level have been evaluated and the results provide interesting insights into the mechanism of SABRE.